How to play

Overview

In this game, you will observe natural selection in action. A population of moths is released into a forest with either light or dark colored trees. There are two types of moths: Light and dark. Their only difference is color. At the start, the population will be evenly split: 50% light moths and 50% dark moths.

As the simulation runs, graphs at the bottom of the screen track how the population changes over time.

You play the role of a predator, controlling a bird. Move the bird around the screen and try to eat as many moths as possible in 60 seconds. Once you're finished, review your results and see what impact this had on the moth population. Then, play again in the forest of the opposite color.

Controls

There are a few different ways to control the bird once the game begins.

Mouse controls If you're playing on a desktop computer, you can move your mouse across the game board, and the bird will follow. Click the left mouse button to take a bite.

Handheld devices If you're playing on a handheld device without a mouse, you can simply click on a spot on the game board. The bird will move there instantly, and will take a bite.

Keyboard control You can use the arrow keys to move the bird when the game board is selected (which you can do by clicking on it). When selected, a colored border appears around it. You can press Space or Enter to take a bite, and press Escape to leave the game board and pause the game.

Additional controls You can turn on the movement and action buttons in the game settings above the game board to access additional buttons that will let you control the bird.

Settings

Peppered Moths offers a range of settings you can enable to customize your experience based on your gameplay needs. These settings are found at the top of the page above the game board when you begin a game, after you've selected a forest type.

Aim assist Adds a visible target to the game board that shows where the bird will take a bite.

Large target size Makes targets easier to hit by increasing their clickable area.

Flat colors Removes textures from the game and displays with flat colors instead.

Movement buttons Displays buttons used to control the bird's movement.

Action buttons Displays buttons that let you eat moths without using the game board. Each button is only enabled when there are moths of that color to eat.

Sound cues Adds helpful audio cues. A chiming sound signals a highly visible moth. When the bird is over a moth that blends into its environment, a softer chiming sound will play some of the time. A tapping sound lets you know you've reached the edge of the game board when using keyboard controls. The sound button must be enabled to hear these effects.

Slow game speed Slows game timer to one-third speed, giving players more time to complete the game.